We stand in the parking lot, hugging, kissing, and soaking up the free-flowing serotonin, when my phone buzzes with a familiar alert.
“Are you hungry?” I ask.
Jude laughs. “You know I am.”
I raise up on my toes to kiss him again.
“Then we better get home, because Sammy took your food.”
He grins against my mouth while gently tugging the pink tie from my hair and slipping it over his wrist. Massaging the back of my head, he plants kiss after sweet kiss on my lips before catching my hand and guiding me to his SUV.
“Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds”fills the speakers, like it has every time I’ve been in this seat for the last year.
“You worked all evening and planned to feed me?” He squeezes my leg. “Really?”
“I tried.” I smile sheepishly.
“If you’re not careful, I’m going to think you love me.” He turns our clasped hands over to kiss mine.
“It’s a risk I’m willing to take.” I smirk up at him and skip to “Hey Jude” without looking.
“Good to know. Want to take a drive with me?”
“Always.”
Chapter 36
Reason to Stay
I’ve never been one to complain about time passing too slowly. I usually feel like life’s barreling at me faster than I can run, which admittedly is not fast, but the last few weeks have been some of the most torturously slow of my life.
I can confirm, with absolute certainty, I hate being away from Jude Daniel Crawford.
Loathe.
Zero stars.
Do not recommend.
Pin me with the clingy girlfriend badge. I’ll own it. But I can admit, we’ve been forced to communicate in ways other than kissing since he’s been gone, which may not have happened otherwise. We’ve always talked, but our feelings hid in plain sight behind our flirty little song and dance.
We’re still dancing. We’re still flirting. But we’re not afraid to say what we mean. Especially since fall semester has begun and I’m taking two accelerated courses myself. If we need to study, we talk and then we study. If we’re tired, we check in and thenwe sleep. There’s no shutting down or pulling away, only honest, consistent communication.
And maybe some extra whining and chocolate, which I’ve had to counter with extra squats, crunches, and dumbbell reps. I don’t know why I can’t eat anything of nutritional value without him here. It’s not like ingesting a vegetable would make me feel worse.
Not that I have much to complain about. Jude still makes me laugh and feel loved from three hundred miles away.
Jude Daniel (Take a Sad Song and Make it Sexy) Crawford:Want some cheese?
Me:Cheese me up, Baby.
Jude Daniel (Take a Sad Song and Make it Sexy) Crawford:My head’s in real estate ethics, but my heart is with you.
Me:Oh, sir. That was extra super cheesy.
Jude Daniel (Take a Sad Song and Make it Sexy) Crawford:Smothered in queso.
Me:Now you’re just trying to seduce me.??
